


Birth Day

by water_bby



Series: Slice of Life [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 12:08:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15119090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_bby/pseuds/water_bby
Summary: The Academy has lots of traditions.  Kakashi is ordered to take part in one while everyone waits for Kurenai’s baby to born. Or, “Tell Iruka-sensei to keep all of you busy for at least an hour. I’m sure there’s plenty of work to do.”





	Birth Day

**Author's Note:**

> written for my Food and Cooking square, trope_bingo round 10

Three hours after arriving in the waiting room, Kakashi was ready for a break from staring--at the wall, at Gai, at Shikamaru, out the window. He had not expected the break to take the form of his Hokage striding into the room, looking at the three of them and then at the various Sarutobis gathered at the other end of the waiting room, and announcing, loudly, that nothing was going to happen in the next hour or so, so they all might has well go get dinner. Or not. Just as long as they left her hospital and didn’t come back for at least an hour. And then she handed Kakashi a mission roll with a curt, “All three of you, get to the Academy.” Kakashi was impressed by the level of annoyance in Shikamaru’s face--in his experience, the kid had an excellent poker face, but he clearly didn’t like being ordered to leave. However, one didn’t get into a fight in the maternity ward waiting room, especially with one’s Hokage, so Kakashi gathered Gai and Shikamaru and headed towards the Academy while opening the mission scroll, which read, simply, “Tell Iruka-sensei to keep all of you busy for at least an hour. I’m sure there’s plenty of work to do.”

When they arrived at the Academy, it was not only well beyond normal school hours, but actually later than the afterschool programs. However, the lights in the small building that housed the Academy’s large kitchen were still on, and there was a buzz of voices and the sounds of many people preparing food. When Gai knocked on the door, an older woman Kakashi only vaguely recognized pulled it opened and frowned at them. Kakashi thrust the mission scroll at her and then bit his lip to keep from laughing when the woman turned around, waving them in, and shouted, “Iruka, the Hokage sent us jounin!”

Iruka looked up from where he had been standing at one of the steel tables, talking softly while he sliced vegetables. He put his knife down and walked over with a smile. “Really? The Hokage sent you?”

Kakashi shrugged. “She kicked everybody out of the waiting room and then told the three of us to report here. Mission scroll and all.”

Shikamaru muttered, “Troublesome,” but no one asked him to clarify what exactly he was talking about. It didn’t matter. They just needed to get through the hour-long exile and and then they could return to the hospital.

Iruka acknowledged Shikamaru’s presence by asking, “Do you have a key to Kurenai-sensei’s house? We have one already, but a second would make this much simpler.”

Kakashi nearly cheered when Gai interrupted Shikamaru’s answer to ask what was happening that so many of the Academy staff were gathered in one place cooking.

The older woman who had opened the door for them answered, though, before Iruka could. “Birth Day tradition. One of the teachers has a kid, we make sure the place is stocked with foods than can be easily reheated or eaten cold. And we stock their favorite alcohol, too, so you can start by taking that over.”

Shikamaru smiled slightly, “I have a key.”

“Good,” Iruka answered. “I’ll come get you started, if that’s okay with everyone.” The other members of the staff murmured approval, and the teacher who had been working with Iruka pulled the rest of the unsliced vegetables over into his pile.

Iruka looked entirely too happy to be weighing his lover and his lover’s best friend down with multiple bottles of sake and what seemed to be a couple gallons of soup in a variety of storage containers. He then led them to Kurenai’s house, where they all loaded the food into the refrigerator or freezer or cabinet, as needed. While they were working, another group of Academy staff arrived, some with more food, and some to clean. One person, who turned out to be the close friend who also had a key, whisked away the bedding and the towels to make sure they were freshly washed. For the next hour, they all ferried food from the Academy to put away. One bag of fresh fruit was emptied into a bowl on the table, and the bottles of Kurenai’s favorite sake were lined up on the counter, a bright green bow around the neck of each bottle.

When everything had been carried to Kurenai’s place, the staff sat down around the tables at the Academy to eat their own dinners. Iruka put Kakashi, Gai, and Shikamaru in an area slightly away from the rest and then placed several bowls of miso soup on the table. Kakashi noted that his was the only one with eggplant. Iruka winked at him, and then nodded at the stoves. “Help yourselves to seconds if you want. We always make extra.”

Kakashi did feel better for having helped prepare Kurenai’s house. And for having eaten. After the three members of his “mission team” dropped their dirty dishes into the sink to be washed, they left to return to the hospital. Iruka tagged along. “My Mission Room shift starts in 30 minutes,” he commented brightly. “With luck, I’ll hear good news before I’m done.”

“I’ll be at the hospital until it’s over,” Kakashi said softly. “I owe her and Asuma that.” He didn’t say that, without luck, it could be days before he was home.

“I know. Do what you need to do. I’ve done my part.” Iruka nodded at the kitchen and then lightly kissed Kakashi through the mask before pulling away to go to the Mission Room. “Take care, all of you!”

Kakashi smiled all the way back to the waiting room.


End file.
